# Book II: The Great Bourgeois explained — Les Misérables

> Chapter companion for Les Misérables by Victor Hugo.

## What happens

This book introduces M. Luc-Esprit Gillenormand, an elderly bourgeois of the Restoration era, and his household, including his daughter Mademoiselle Gillenormand and his grandson Marius Pontmercy, who lives with him. It explores Gillenormand's royalist and reactionary views, his complex family history, and his relationship with Marius, setting the stage for future conflicts.

## Themes in this chapter

### The Human Condition and Fate

Gillenormand's character embodies the stubbornness of old age and the clash between personal convictions and changing times, reflecting the human struggle with mortality and legacy.

### Revolution and Social Upheaval

The book highlights the ideological divide between royalists and Bonapartists, a microcosm of the broader social and political upheavals in post-revolutionary France.

## Character check-ins

### M. Gillenormand

The central figure of this book, a royalist bourgeois of nearly ninety, described with his habits, opinions, and family dynamics.

### Mademoiselle Gillenormand

Gillenormand's daughter, who manages his household and is contrasted with her father's vitality.

### Marius Pontmercy

Gillenormand's grandson, living with him, though his presence is more implied in this book as part of the household.

### Georges Pontmercy

Marius's father, a colonel under Napoleon, whose memory and legacy are a point of contention in the family.

## Key lines

> He was a man of the old school, a royalist, a fanatic, and a great bourgeois.

Gillenormand is described as a traditionalist, a staunch royalist, and a member of the wealthy middle class.

_Establishes Gillenormand's political and social identity._

> He had been a great lover in his youth, and he still was a great eater in his old age.

In his youth he was known for romantic pursuits, and in old age he is known for his hearty appetite.

_Highlights Gillenormand's enduring vitality and past passions._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/les_miserables_se/chapters/book-ii-the-great-bourgeois
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/les_miserables_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/les_miserables_se/chapters